Main menu

Main menu

Paulie Malignaggi vs. Orlando Lora: Recap, Analysis

October 16, 2011
| by

0 0

By Nick Tylwalk

The Staples Center in Los Angeles is getting ready for the showdown between Bernard Hopkins and Chad Dawson. First, though, we've got a three-fight televised undercard, beginning with a welterweight bout between Paulie Malinaggi and Orlando Lora. The HBO PPV crew led by Jim Lampley is on hand to call the action.

The tale of the tape shows that both fighters are 30 years old. Lora is three inches taller but has only a one-inch edge in reach. Malignaggi is 29-4 with just six KOs, while Lora is 28-1-1 with 19 knockouts. Michael Buffer does the fighter intros, and we're off and running for a scheduled 10 rounds of boxing.

Round 1

Interestingly, Max Kellerman mentions that Paulie had trouble making weight even though he fought most of his career in lighter weight classes. Malignaggi shows off the hand speed with jabs followed by power shots. Lora tries to duck in to land a big shot. Paulie touches his man to the head and body. Malignaggi snaps off four or five punches in a row, but Lara wades through them and stuns Paulie with a big shot. Malignaggi already has some swelling under his left eye from that right hand. Lora shrugs as Malignaggi lands a few more quick shots. Close first round because of that one flush shot.

Tylwalk: 10-9 Malignaggi

Round 2

Emanuel Steward says there is a noticeable difference in punching power between these two men. Malignaggi circles to his left while jabbing. Lora has his gloves up to pick off shots. Lora doesn't seem bothered by these punches, but he's having trouble getting Paulie to stay still. Malignaggi ducks some punches and holds on for a clinch. Paulie throws the triple left hook, ending to the body. Lora tries to get his hands free on the inside. He's also warned for holding and hitting.

Tylwalk: 10-9 Malignaggi

Round 3

Kellerman wonders if Malignaggi can keep this up for 10 rounds. Lots of feinting in the center of the ring. Lora bashes his way forward with a left and right. Paulie uses the left hook and escapes to his right. Lora reaches but ends up eating a flurry upstairs. Paulie tries some two-punch combos to halt Lora's advances. CompuBox has Malignaggi outlanding by about an 8:1 margin in this round. Lora does score with a right hand in the final 10 seconds.

Tylwalk: 10-9 Malignaggi

Round 4

Harold Lederman has Malignaggi up two rounds to one, giving the first to Lora. Both men miss while trying to trade. Malignaggi jabs and circles to good effect. He's doubling and tripling it up when necessary. Lora bulls his way in, trying to make it a brawl. He's just a hair away from a big right hand. Paulie ducks down extremely low to avoid another rush. Malignaggi lands with both hands on either side of a Lora right. There's about five jabs in a row from Paulie. The round ends with swings and misses both ways.

Tylwalk: 10-9 Malignaggi

Round 5

Lora's corner seems pretty unhappy with his efforts over the last few rounds. He's got a cut above the eyelid on his left eye. Steward believes it was ruled to have come from a punch. Manny Pacquiao arrives to take a ringside seat, distracting the fans for a moment. One-two by Paulie and he still moves his head away from the counter. Three jabs and a right from Malignaggi. The ref tells them to work out from close range. Paulie hooks and ducks away. Lora bears down and attempts to go to the body. A right hand by Lora gets Malignaggi's attention. He just can't get anything done except for sporadic single shots.

Tylwalk: 10-9 Malignaggi

Round 6

Early clinches and the ref says fight out. Lora gets some work done, but Paulie resumes his constant jabbing. Some brief exchanges are basically even. Lora tries to mug Malignaggi with the left while getting tangled with the right. Lora runs forward and uses a left hook to force Paulie back. Paulie lands a three-punch combo, then gets shoved back onto his butt. The ref scores it no knockdown and warns Lora for pushing. Nice overhand right by Malignaggi in the waning moments.

Tylwalk: 10-9 Malignaggi

Round 7

Malignaggi mixes up jabs and slapping right hands. His corner warned him not to stand in front of Lora. The ref tells Paulie not to hold. He whips out the one-two and quickly clinches. Lora eats a chopping right while coming in. Malingaggi snaps off the jabs and counter lefts, continuing to back away. He uses short left hooks to keep Lora back, and Orlando seems frustrated as the round ends.

Tylwalk: 10-9 Malignaggi

Round 8

Four or five jabs in a row help Malignaggi keep his distance. Neither man throws much as they jockey for position. The fans seem a tad restless during this stretch. Lora tries to measure his right hand, but he's not really pulling the trigger. Paulie pops Lora with four quick shots to the head. He reaches around the guard with a wide right hand, then pushes Lora's head down. Malignaggi initiates a clinch when he charges in. An exchange goes Paulie's way thanks to a nice left hand.

Tylwalk: 10-9 Malignaggi

Round 9

Both trainers are giving their men good advice. Malignaggi was instructed to get off and get out, while Lora was told he needs a KO to win. Paulie's hand speed is simply too much for Lora. He times a counter right and a left hook. Lora continues to come forward, effectively or not. More clinches keep the ref busy. Four jabs in a row from Malignaggi and a rare uppercut. Lora scores to the body but is soon back eating light punches. Nothing of consequence lands in the closing seconds.

Tylwalk: 10-9 Malignaggi

Round 10

Lora had some work done on and around his left eye. Only a home run shot can save him now. Paulie duckd his head and works the body with Lora backed to the ropes. They lean on each other and throw back in the middle of the ring. This isn't what Malignaggi's corner asked for, but he's getting away with it. Both fighters land right hands, making Paulie nod his head. He's talking to someone ringside too. Malignaggi connects with a hard right hand, then showboats his way to the final bell.

Tylwalk: 10-9 Malignaggi

Tylwalk: 100-90 Malignaggi

The judges score it 100-90, 98-92 and 99-91, all to the winner by unanimous decision, Paulie "Magic Man" Malignaggi.